Something about health                         
 

My bitches will, individually adapted to their condition have their litters - but not more than three totally. And there will not be two or more litters at my kennel at the same time, as the optimal and individual devellopement of the puppies will not be warranted any longer.

My breeding stock will be tested for CEA (free at 6 weeks) and Hip Dysplasia (grade A) as it is required for the breeding recommendation of the VDH and CfBrH (Club for British Pastoral Dogs)

Additional I test genetically for CEA, since at my litters 2 puppies turned out to be genetically affected - since both parents were CEA carrier, but I did not know the genetical status from the stud dogs.  So I had with both litters a "blind flight" - I  would never dare that again. Nowadays nearly all stud dogs in Germany are CEA genetically tested, and if I will take a dog from abroad, I will insist in that test.

I do test as well for the MDR1 defect, which is very important for me and is always taken into consideration at the searching for an apted stud dog !
MDR1 (+/+ normal, +/- carrier,-/- affected) is the short form for - Multi drug resistance - a genetic defect. Collies who are affected will not be able to get certain medicines. Because there are  increasingly more medicaments which should not be given to those dogs, like parasite-sprays and -injections, narcotica, cancer treatment and digestion medicine, some affected collies still die by  wrong treatment. Therefore I will not breed any MDR1 affected puppies. Having here not that many MDR1 normal brood bitches and stud dogs, it is not to avoid to breed with MDR1 carriers and MDR1 affected ones as well. But as the heridity transmission is quite simple (autosomal-recessive), it should not be a problem to breed only carrier puppies or normal puppies, but no affected puppies.  

You may  find more about the defect at www.laboklin.de in English language. An updated list of the medication, which is dangerous for MDR1 affected dogs, you may find at www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/drugs.aspx .

My breeding philosophy is not to practise inbreeding or linebreeding, as far as anyway possible at the small genetic pool of our breed in Germany. I recommend a book from a well known scientist for genetics - Dr.Hellmuth Wachtel - about dog breeding, which does depict  impressively the bad effects of in-and linebreeding, even after many generations.
Of course I can't cancel in-and linebreeding in the pedigrees of my dogs or of the stud dogs, I use for my bitches. But I think at the present state of Genetic Sciences it is not responsible to continue with those practices. I can't take any other attitude about that.